Hope someone can offer me some advice on this one. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have a very beautiful and intelligent 4 month old GWP called George. He's very intelligent and quick to learn new things. As a result he has already learned the recall, all he needs now is proofing in more distracting environments. However this is not my question.

He now walks off the lead and loves (as I do!!) to play fetch. However, what concerns me, is the issue of over exercise. I've scoured the web for guidelines on exercising your puppy in his first year but been unsuccessful.

I know that how you much you should exercise your puppy is a matter of using your common sense (ie once he begins to tire... stop).

However I wondered if anyone out there could offer any tips on how much exercise my Pup should be getting until he is fully grown and whether there are any do's and don'ts with regard to exercising your Puppy.

Welcome to the wonderful world of wires. I have two wires, one is 9 years old & the other is 11 months old.

Both of them have been run in the field since they were 12 weeks old. My 9 yr old male has never had any problems & his is 26 inches at the shoulder & weighs 68 pounds. My 11 month old female is 43 pounds of pure muscle.

Just remember to not bike them on concrete or asphalt. I use to take mine to a green belt & let them run next to the bike in the grass.

Hey Max,
Everydog is different in how much desire, stamina etc.. so you need to evaluate your own dog in these matters. Now what concerns me is training such as fetch, heel or with birds, I personally disagree with the (once he begins to tire...stop). The correct way I believe for every dog should be (stop with the dog wanting more or leave with the dog wanting more). Every training should be left on a positive note and when the dog tires this sometimes is not feasible also if something your doing tires the dog and you have to keep going until done correctly it can and has been damaging to the development of the young dog. In other words keep it short and to the point and always leave the dog wanting more. In this it will keep the dog excited doing whatever it may be retrieving, running in the field etc. etc. but as a young dog alway try to keep it enjoyable and him wanting more. Not only will the training be easier and go or come along quicker but the dog grasps what your wanting as well it will be a win win situation. As the dogs desire and his/her body and mental capacities build so will the time spent training or excersize be increased as well. Good luck with your pup.

Just a note most professional trainers start out with 15 minutes a day it is not so much time spent but what is accomplished.

A general guideline is 10 minutes of continuous playtime up until 6 months. Then, the increase is in consideration of each dog, as individual differencies sets in from then on.
A pup should never be out of breath when you stop.
A pup should never be limping or dragging his feet when you slow him down.
A pup should never simply drop down as soon as you stop.
A pup should never cough while playing or when you stop the game.
Any of these are symptoms of an excess of exercise.

And I do agree with Hunters Edge, the best way to conserve the drive of a dog is to stop while he is still full of energy!

I've always gone with the guideline that large breed puppies need 2 hours of aerobic activity a day. I have not had problems with chewing, barking, or other behaviors that stem from lack of exercise. (I've never crated a day in my life and all my furniture is in tact.)

With that being said, there are certainly risks. Be careful in the heat, also be careful how hot the asphalt or other surfaces they are running on are. As you mentioned the asphalt can be tough on the paws so as much as possible walk/run/bike them them where they can run on grass.

You do want to be careful not to stress their joints. Their growth plates aren't closed yet so a lot of pressure can cause deformities and problems later in life. This should not be a concern if you are just doing things like fetch, etc. It is more an issue if you are doing performance events that involve jumping. (obedience, agility, flyball etc.)

Fetch is great exercise, so is playing with bubbles. They use all kinds of muscles and its great fun. Biking, running, playing with other dogs, and swimming are all great exercise and stimulation for the pup.